I Didn't Mean To Make You Hurt
by AlexGeeeeIsLove
Summary: ATL fanfic. I really can't explain it, so you'll just have to read it.
1. Chapter 1

**7 years earlier.**

I lit a cigarette and leaned up against the side of the 18+ club. I practiced my smoke rings as I waited for my friends to get done with their gig inside. We were all 16, and we weren't allowed inside. They were given special permission because they had a gig, but they had to leave as soon as they were done. I heard my phone ring, so I pulled it out and answered it with a casual "Hey, sup?"

"Yo, Bohannon, we're on our way out." I heard one of my friends, Matthew J. Flyzik say.

"I'm waiting by the back door," I sighed, throwing my cigarette butt on the ground and stomping it out. "Hurry the fuck up." I pulled my deep purple hair up in a pony tail and walked to the door as it opened. Five boys stepped out, four of them were dripping with sweat from the performance they had just put on. I took a guitar case from Alex and followed the others to the van. "So, how'd it go?" I asked, putting the case in the back of the van.

"Pretty good, I think they enjoyed it." Rian answered, loading his drums into the van. I smiled and got in the van. I sat in the middle seat with Jack, while Alex and Zack sat in the backseat. Rian took the passenger seat, and Flyzik got in the drivers seat.

"So, Liberty, what are you doing tonight?" Jack asked, laying his head in my lap. I pushed some sweaty hair out of his face and laughed.

"Oh, nothing really. I pretty much just wasted my night sitting outside of a club," I smiled, "Why?"

"Well, we were going to have a sleepover at Alex's, and we're going to stay up all night watching movies." Zack answered, leaning over the back of my seat.

"Count me in!" I laughed, getting out of the car as Flyzik dropped me off at my place. "Okay, I'll be over soon. You kids need to go home and shower, and I have shit I need to do. So, I'll see y'all in an hour or two. Kay?" I smiled, grabbing my backpack and putting it on my shoulder. I made my way up to my front door as the van drove away. I sighed and walked in the front door, using my key to unlock it first. I walked up the stairs and to my room, dropping my bag on the ground and going into my bathroom. I took a quick shower, and re-dyed my hair. The purple was starting to fade, so I fixed it. I threw on a pair of distressed skinnies, a Blink shirt, and my Vans. I put some shorts and a t-shirt in my backpack, and then put my essentials in it as well.

I got in my car and drove to Alex's house. Everyone else was already there, and they were arguing over what movie to watch. There were about 7 movies laid out on the table, and they were discussing which one was better while Jack was chanting 'Home Alone.'

**Present**

But that was almost 7 years ago. Nowadays I didn't see them anymore. They had become famous, and I had been left behind. You know, the usually sob story. Only, I wasn't crying about it. They were happy living their new life, and I was happy continuing my life in Maryland. Besides, I still talked to their families, who loved me. Their parents were all like godparents to me, since my parents were dead and all.

"Isobel? Peter?" I asked walking into the Gaskarth home. "Is anyone home?" I knew that whether or not anyone was home, they wouldn't care if I was here. They had given me and key and said come over whenever. I walked to the back door, and saw Isobel and Peter setting up for what looked like a party. I walked onto the back porch.

"Oh, hello Liberty!" Isobel smiled, hugging me. I hugged her back and then hugged Peter.

"What's all this for?" I asked, laughing. I was always in a good mood around them, they were the nicest people.

"The boys are coming home tonight!" Isobel cheered. I smiled, but on the inside my heart was racing a million miles an hour. I hadn't seen them in so long, what would they think of me?

"That's...fantastic. I haven't seen them in so long." I said, sitting down in a chair.

"Oh, I'm sure they miss you. You were all best friends, after all." Isobel sighed, sitting down next to me.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and find out, won't we?" I laughed, "But for now, let's get this party set up!"

We spent the rest of the morning getting the party set up. At 2:00 I went home and got changed. I took a shower, and then threw on a pair of shorts and a flowy green top. I straightened my now black hair and put on a little bit of make-up before heading back to the Gaskarth's. The boy's would be home at 5:00 and it was now 4:50. I parked about a block away and then quickly walked/ran to the house and into the backyard.

Everyone's parents and siblings were there, waiting to see their sons and brothers. I sat down and made conversation with May, Jack's sister.

I found out that Alex's girlfriend was there, her name was Lisa. I talked to her for a while, until she got a text from Alex that said he was home. Somehow they had gotten all of the guys to go to the Gaskarth's house, because suddenly the porch door opened and out popped Alex, Jack, Rian, and Zack. Except now they were all grown-up. I had seen pictures of them, of course. But this was different. This was in person.

I sat to the side and stayed quiet. I awkwardly avoided them, of course they were reuniting with their loved ones, and didn't notice me, so it wasn't hard to avoid them. Isobel came and sat next to me.

"They're handsome boys aren't they?" Isobel asked, leaning over and smiling. I nodded, staring at each boy.

"They are, you must be so proud of Alex." I smiled, taking a sip of beer.

"Oh, I am. I'm proud of all of them," She smiled. "I feel like they're my sons, as well. I'm also proud of you."

"Me?" I asked, looking at her like she was crazy.

"Of course. You've grown into a very head-strong, independant woman. I've watched you grow almost your entire life. It's amazing to see a child grow into someone so amazing." She smiled, taking my hand.

"Mom?" Alex asked, looking around.

"Over here honey!" Isobel smiled, waving Alex over with her free hand. He came trotting over, a big smile on his face. I tried to get up but Isobel wouldn't let me.

"Hey Mom," He smiled, then his eyes fell on me and he raised an eyebrow. "Who is this?"

"Liberty Bohannon." Isobel smiled. I heard a few conversations stop, and then all four boys were crowded around me, giving me hugs. We took about 3 hours catching up. They told me all about their lives as rockstars, and I told them all about my boring as hell life. I seemed really pathetic compared to them. They didn't seem to notice. Because to them, I think I would always be Liberty, the girl with purple hair that smoked and lit ants on fire. To me, they would always be: Alex, the smooth ladies-man. Jack, the loud and obnoxious one that you couldn't help but love. Rian, the sometimes mature, sometimes immature one. And Zack, the hilarious one that barely ever got to talk because of the other three bafoons. It would always be the five of us.

"LIBERTY! I FUCKING MISSED YOU!" Jack squealed, picking me up off the ground in a giant bear hug.

"I missed you too, Jack." I laughed, fixing my hair.

"Your hair isn't purple anymore." Alex frowned.

"We liked the purple hair!" Zack whined. I laughed and hugged my boys. I had missed them so much.

"Sleepover tonight?" Rian asked, smiling.

"Totally!" We all smiled. Everyone else was just looking at us like we were crazy, because we were.

"Stop it!" I giggled, smacking Alex's hand as he messed with my hair. They had convinced me to dye it purple again during our sleepover.

"So, who's your man candy?" Jack asked, dropping his body down beside mine on the couch. I looked over at him and my face turned red.

"No one." I smiled, shaking my head.

"LIAR!" Alex and Jack screamed, pointing at me.

"Guys, leave her alone about it." Rian laughed, "So, Liberty, did you ever get to fuck Walker O'Bryan?" He winked.

"You wanted to fuck Walker?" Alex asked, his caterpillar eyebrows shooting up to hide behind his hair. I blushed and nodded.

"In our like Junior year, when he had that really sexy long hair." I bit my lip. "Unf, I would've done him in a heartbeat. But no Rian. He's married and has a kid."

"Hey, what happened to Travis?" Zack asked. He was the only one I had really kept contact with after they became big-shots, sure I talked to the other guys, but only for like a year after they got big. I talked to Zack for about two years before we parted ways. I had told him about a guy I had started dating, and I had completely forgotten I had even mentioned it to him.

"Travis who?" Jack asked, smirking.

"Travis Miller. Remember him? He had shaggy black hair, and those amazing blue eyes?" I asked, smiling.

"Oh yeah, him." Alex nodded. "He was such a man-slut."

"Oh, and you weren't?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No." He answered, looking away from me. We all laughed. It was like old times.

"So, you dated Travis." Jack started snickering.

"Shut up, he's a nice guy." I blushed. Truth was, I was still dating Travis. "Not going to lie, he knows how to treat a girl right."

"Oh, really?" Alex snickered along with Jack. I nodded and grabbed my iPhone. I checked to see if I had any messages, I had three. One of them was from Travis, one was from my boss, and the last one was from my friend January, who we simply called Jan. I was in the middle of replying to Trav's message when Alex took my phone from me.

"Hey now, no texting. We're trying to catch up here!" Alex laughed, then he looked down at my phone. I looked up at me and raised his eyebrow. "Care to explain?" I took my phone from him and sighed. I read the message to myself.

**Travis: Hey baby, you're not home, where are you?**

**Liberty: Jack, Alex, Rian, and Zack are in town, and I'm visting them. I'm staying the night at the Gaskarth's, it's something we used to do when we were kids. I'll see you tomorrow, kay? I love you.**

"I already told you, I'm dating Travis." I explained, looking him in the eyes.

"No, you said dated." Alex was staring me down.

"Jack said dated." I retorted.

"You didn't correct him!" Alex accused.

"I didn't think it was that important!" I threw my hands up, and walked into the kitchen to get a drink. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. I heard someone come into the kitchen and turned to see Alex. "What?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Really Liberty, Travis fucking Miller?" Alex asked, his voice raising just a little bit.

"Yes, what is so fucking bad about Trav?" I asked, raising my voice as well. I was starting to get really pissed at him. It was my business, I didn't question him about Lisa.

"Well...he's...I just...you're not good together!" Alex yelled, slamming his hand on the counter.

"Oh really? Well you and Lisa aren't good together, either." I spat, walking around him and out of the kitchen. I got my shit out of the living room and wiped my cheeks from where frustrated tears had escaped my eyes.

"Lib, where are you going?" Zack asked, getting up and stopping me as I started out the front door.

"Home. I'm sorry guys, we can hang out tomorrow. As long as you leave that asshole at home." I apologized before walking out of the house and out to my car. I threw my bag in the passenger seat, started the car, and drove to Travis's house. I walked inside, knowing that the front door would be open.

"Hey Lib," Travis greeted me, but stopped when he saw how angry I was. "What happened?"

"Alexander William Gaskarth is the biggest asshole I have ever met in my life, and I hope I never see him again." I replied, falling into his open arms and crying on his shoulder.

**Okay, I have one thing to say about this chapter: I don't actually think Alex and Lisa are bad together. I think they are the absolute cutest couple ever, and I think Lisa is a really nice girl. Just wanted to clear that up. Adhkfsldkf. Has anyone heard the Dirty Work mash-up? It's amazing, I think I'm in love. Uhm, review? Yes, review. Also, if there are any stories that you really like that I haven't updated in like forever, will you please tell me what they are so I can update them? Kay thanks. Whoever is reading this, whether I know you or not, I fucking love you, and I want to have your babies. ;D Now I'm done being a creep. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I should really be studying for my 3 finals right now, but am I? No, I'm sitting here writing a beautiful story for you beautiful people. I do so much for you. You should love me.**

_Flashback_

I spun the empty bottle, watching it spin around in circles, trying to concentrate on where it landed. I looked up into the eyes of the one and only Alex Gaskarth. He lifted up his hand and motioned me over with his finger. I drunkenly crossed the circle and climbed into his lap, before pressing my lips to his in a sloppy, wasted, spin the bottle kiss. Then I climbed off of him and returned to my place on the other side of the circle, wiping some lipstick onto the back of my hand and watching as someone else spun the bottle, and shared a kiss.

_End of Flashback_

I woke up and covered my eyes with my hands. I shook my head, trying to get the image out of my head. It was taunting me. A bad memory that just wouldn't go away, like a sick joke my mind was playing on my heart. I curled my upper lip back in disgust and got out of bed, grabbing one of Travis's shirts and slipping it on over my bra and panties. I went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth, before heading into the living room to see what Trav was up to. He was sitting on the couch, with a bowl of cereal, watching cartoons.

I smiled and sat down next to him, pushing my purple hair back behind my ear. I smiled at him, and he looked at me with a mouth full of cereal. "What?" He asked, his mouth still full. Some milk dripped down his chin and I giggled.

"You're just cute, that's all." I laughed, wiping the milk from his chin. He swallowed his cereal after chewing it and laughed, leaning over to kiss me. He put his bowl down on the table and the started to tickle me. I giggled and screamed and kicked until he stopped.

"So are you," He smiled, kissing me on the cheek. "Really cute, actually."

"Oh hush." I laughed, getting up and taking his bowl into the kitchen. I washed the milk out and put the bowl in the dishwasher. "Hey, I'm going to go hang out with Zack, Rian, and Jack today." I reminded him, taking his shirt off in the laundry room and slipping into a pair of jean shorts. I walked out into the living room, holding a t-shirt I had cut the sleeves off of. Trav looked up at me and smiled.

"Only if you wear a shirt," He joked. Running his fingers over the tattoo on my hip. I put the shirt on and then headed to our bathroom to do my hair. I straightened my hair and then put in my lip ring. I looked at myself in the mirror. Shorts, a t-shirt with cut off sleeves and long holes down the side where the sleeves should be, and a bright green bra. I smiled and slipped on some green Chucks, grabbed my phone, got some money, kissed Trav, and then left. I got in my car and drove to Jack's house, hoping to God that they'd be there.

Lucky for me, they were. I ran inside, hugging Mrs. Barakat on the way in, and then hugging Jack.

Jack grabbed me and started dancing around his living room with me, singing some Barney song really off-key. Everyone laughed, and so did I, until I saw Alex sitting on the couch with Lisa. I stopped dancing and looked at Zack and Rian, motioning to the basement with my eyes.

"Guys, we're going to go in the basement for a second, we'll be back." Zack excused himself and Rian.

"I'm going to go with them, come on Jack." I smiled, pulling Jack with me. Alex and Lisa got up to come but I turned around and stopped them. "You kids sit, we just need to talk for a second or two."

I ran down the stairs, towing Jack behind me.

"Guys, why are we down here?" Jack whined, looking at all of us. We simply ignored him.

"I told you last night, I don't want to fucking be near that asshole!" I quietly yelled at the three of them.

"We thought, maybe you two could work it out..." Rian trailed off, looking at Zack.

"He brought his _girlfriend_, who was one of the reason's we got in the fight in the first place!" I groaned, pulling at my hair. It was something I had started doing recently.

"Wait, why were you guys fighting anyways?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"He was pissed that I'm dating Trav, he said we aren't a good couple, and some other shit. So I told him that he and Lisa aren't a good couple either and then left," I shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it.

"What are we talking about guys?" Jack asked, obviously confused. We ignored him again.

"That was a douche move, what he did I mean." Rian scoffed.

"Exactly," I nodded. "God, he's such a jealous asshole."

"Well, can you blame him? He's liked you forever." Zack sighed, sitting down. Then he covered his mouth while Rian gave him a death glare.

"_He what_?" I asked, gasping.

The rest of the day was completely awkward, mainly because Lisa was around. I mean, she was a nice girl and everything, but it seemed like we all had to pretend around her. We weren't ourselves, basically. We went shopping and to get ice cream, seeing as it was the beginning of June, and it was burning up outside. I kept stealing glances at Alex, but he was always looking away from me, or flirting with _Lisa_. I was really starting to not like this girl. Oh my God, what has happened to me? I'm jealous of Alex's girlfriend? What the fuck? I didn't like Alex, so why did my heart contract everytime I saw them flirting it up. I'm stupid, that's why.

So I kept my distance, staying as far away from the two as possible. I stayed with Zack or Rian, because if I hung out with Jack he would definitely want to be near Alex. I picked at my red nail polish and looked at the floor while we were in the ice cream shop. I felt my ears burning, and I wished my heart would stop being jealous. At around 3:00 Alex took Lisa home, so the rest of us returned to Jack's house and chilled in his basement until Alex showed up again 30 minutes later, this time he was alone. He sat next to me on the couch and threw his arm around me.

"So, you haven't talked much today, what's up?" He asked, smiling at me. I could smell sex on him, and I held back puke as I pushed his arm off of me and got off the couch. I moved to sit in a recliner instead. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Alex asked, scoffing.

"Honestly, it's you." I answered in my nicest voice.

"What, are you still mad about last night?" Alex asked, laughing a little to himself. "You're still holding grudges I see."

"Well, when someone's a complete asshole for no reason, I'm going to hold it against them." I retorted.

"Oh, grow the fuck up Liberty. For real, this isn't high school anymore. We're all adults here, well...most of us, it seems like you haven't matured yet." He rolled his eyes.

"You are a fucking douche bag Alex," I spat. "What did I ever fucking do to you?"

"You showed up the other night at our Welcome Home party. Life was so much better without you," Alex looked me dead in the eyes. "So go back home to Mommy and Daddy and just stay there. Oh wait, your folks are dead. How about you run home to Travis, hmm? Since he's such a nice guy."

I stood up, angry tears were threatening to spill out of my eyes, but I held my ground. He had really crossed the line, talking about my parent's like that. The other's had been sitting back but Zack stood up and was getting ready to tackle Alex, who was sitting there with a cocky grin on his face. "How about next time, you grow a pair and admit that you have feelings for me, instead of just going off and leaving me behind." I spat, letting a few tears roll down my cheeks. I made my way to the stairs, but turned around at the bottom. "If life was so much better without me, then I'll stay out of it forever." I looked at the others, "Sorry guys, bye."

Then I ran up the stairs and slammed the door shut. I heard the other guys yell at Alex before I heard what sounded like someone getting punched in the face, and I really hoped Zack had hit Alex. I leaned against the door, and slid down to the ground, curling my knees into my chest and crying. Joyce walked in and sat down next to me, and then I explained to her what had happened. She told me that I would always be welcome in her home, no matter what. I thanked her and told her how thankful I was, and how much I loved her, before leaving and going back to Trav's house.

One thing was for sure: I hated Alexander William Gaskarth with a passion, and nothing could change that.

**The Maine concert is this Saturday. I'm so fucking excited. You have no idea. **


	3. Chapter 3

The beginning of June started out rocky, thanks to Alex. But towards the end, I had started talking to the other 3 boys again, and things were starting to look up. Soon enough it was July 4th and I found myself invited to go to the Barakat's home for an Independence Day Picnic. Part of me wanted to go, to see my friends and their families, because I deserved that much, right? But another part of me was screaming at the other part, saying "No, you don't need to go. He'll be there to ruin the fun, and you've suffered enough in your lifetime." Like I said before, I'm stupid. Which is why I was going to the picnic, because I'm **S-T-U-P-I-D**. I figured I could avoid Alex for a few hours, and then leave after the fireworks. But would that actually happen? I was about to find out.

I walked into the Barakat's backyard with Rian and Zack. We were all dressed up nice, Rian and Zack were wearing jeans and nice shirts, and I was in a sun dress with gladiator sandals. Mrs. Barakat greeted us with smiles and hugs, before asking us to help decorate. I helped Jack get the table cloths on the tables, and the plates set out. Once we were done and everything looked okay we high fived and linked arms, walking into the house.

"He's going to be here isn't he?" I asked, sighing as I got a cup and filled it up with Arizona tea. Jack gave me a sad smile and nodded. "Hey, don't be sad, he's your best friend. I'll avoid him, no big deal." I smiled, walking back out to the patio. More people were starting to show up, and I was starting to get antsy. I knew he would be showing up soon, with his blonde dog sitter on his arm. I was a bit taken off gaurd when I felt someone push me out of the way, so I opened my mouth to spit out a crude remark, but shut it quickly when I saw who had done it. Alex. I scowled at him, debating on whether or not to give him the finger. I was going to, but he turned and walked away before I could. Fuck.

I didn't eat anything, instead I got a blanket and put it in the grass, sitting on it. Rian and Zack joined me, bringing drinks. I thanked them and look a beer, opening it and taking a swig. I glared at Alex and Lisa before listening to Rian and Zack talk about plans for a new tour.

Jack sat down next to me as soon as the first firework went off, making me scream. The three boys in front of me laughed and Jack side-hugged me. I slapped his arm, but I knew it didn't hurt him. "God, you asshole. You scared the living shit out of me!" I laughed.

"That was the plan," Jack winked. Then, out of nowhere, up pops Alex, smirking like he's some fucking hot-shot. Then I realized why he was coming over right now. The fireworks. If we got in a fight no one would hear us because of the fireworks. We all stopped laughing and looked at Alex.

"What do you want, Alex?" I asked, standing up and fixing my dress.

"Well, first, I want to know who you think you are, coming around my family and my friends." Alex raised an eyebrow at me.

"I didn't come here to be around you, Alex. I came here to be around people I care about, people that deserve to be cared about. I came here to be with _my_ friends, and _my_ family. You can't make them stop talking to me, and you sure as hell can't make me stop talking to them." I informed him, clenching my fists at my sides. He was really pushing it tonight. I was close to the edge, and I didn't know how much more I could take.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Alex asked, glaring at me.

"Me? What's wrong with me? More like what the fuck is wrong with you! You've become such a cocky bastard. You think you're so much better than me, well you're not Alex. I know you for who you are, and you're no better than anyone else around here. Just because you're in a band. Jack and Zack and Rian are in that band, too. Do you see them walking around acting like their a fucking King? No. Why don't you come back down to Earth, Alex. Then you can talk to me again." I snapped, sitting back down beside Jack. I waited for Alex to walk off, but he didn't. He stood there, staring at me.

**Alex's P.O.V.**

Honestly, I didn't hate Liberty. God, I could never ever _ever_ _**ever **_hate Liberty. I was just trying to make her stay away from me, because I had extreme feelings for her. Feelings I had no control over, feelings I couldn't stop. Like I wanted to stop them. So when she said that to me I was stunned, taken aback. She really thought that about me?

"What are you just standing there for?" She asked, looking up at me. "Fucking leave already. Leave and take Lisa home, go fuck her a few times. Play drunken spin the bottle with her, and kiss her, and make her feel special. Even though it's obvious that you're just fucking using her!"

"I am not!" I yelled back. "I happen to like her!" Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. She stood up, grabbed my arm, and yanked me along behind her as she walked into the house. She shut the door behind us, walked us down to the basement, and then let go of me.

"Alright, listen here. I know how you feel - felt about me. I know you liked me. I know all of it, okay? So can you please stop pretending to be a selfish cunt and actually talk to me?" She asked, looking me in the eyes. She knew. How did she know?

"What are you talking about?" I asked, raising a bushy eyebrow at her.

"Oh come on Alex! I don't know how I didn't see it then, but I see it now. It was so _obvious_." She started walking around the basement, over-analyzing everything. "The late night phone calls, how you'd sneak into my house at night and stay over, the 'just friends' dates. All of it, I can see it so clearly now!"

"What the even fuck are you talking about?" I asked, making her look at me.

"You liked me." She smirked, looking into my eyes. I looked away, blushing a little. "And you still do!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down.

I stood there for a minute. Should I admit it? What about Lisa? What about Travis? I looked into her eyes, and realized that she was happy with her life the way it was. I would just cause her pain, and I didn't want to do that. So I lied. I lied for her.

"No, not anymore." I shook my head. "But you're right, I used to." I smiled and walked away.

My heart broke into a million pieces. I had my chance, and I blew it. I was just hoping that someday, maybe, I would have my chance again.

**Lol, this one sucks. I wrote this half-awake, half-high, half-asleep. If that makes sense? There's so much cursing in it. Oh my god, why is there so much cursing in it? Who cares. We're teenagers, I hope. If you are a small child and you are reading this, 1) how can you read, small child? and 2) quit reading this, and never ever ever read again. Ever. flkhdlkdjkasjd. done being stupid. okay, so like...on a different story, I tried to give y'all my tumblr URL and it didn't work, so I'm going to try this again. Here goes nothing. imnocaptainyet (dot) tumblr (dot) com. woot, hope that works. If you don't have a tumblr. GO FUCKING MAKE ONE, FIND MINE, AND FOLLOW ME. okay, i'm done now, review children.**


	4. Chapter 4

I had decided, a day or two after the 4th of July incident, that I was tired of missing out on time with Ri, Zack, and Jack because of Alex. Most of the time he was around when we all got together, so I would grin and bear it, making the most of everything. But then he started to bring Lisa around, and I started to lose control of my feelings. I became jealous of the short blonde, and found myself starting arguments with her. Usually she would run to Alex and whine, so he would fix everything and either take her home, or make me leave. Today was no different. I had called her annoying, which lead to her calling me a bitch and so on and so forth.

"I don't see how Alex can date you, I can't even put up with you for an hour." I admitted, not looking at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"That you're an annoying little fuck." I answered.

"Alex!" She yelled, making him and the others come into the room. They had been in the kitchen, eating probably, while Lisa and I sat in the living room watching Khloe & Lamar.

"What Lisa?" Alex sighed, I could recognize the annoyance in his voice, although Lisa couldn't.

"Liberty called me annoying!" Lisa yelled, standing up and attaching herself to his side like a leech.

"Well, honestly, you are." Alex stated, pushing her off of him.

"What the hell Alex?" Lisa screamed. Then she turned on me. "You, you little bitch! You ruin everything!"

"What did I do?" I yelled, standing up.

"Now Alex thinks I'm annoying, all because of you!" She pointed at me like she was 7. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure he came up with that opinion all on his own." I smirked, holding back a laugh.

"And what is _that _supposed to mean?" She started to yell again.

"That you're annoying as hell, and everyone thinks so. You act like you're 7, and you're 20 years old. Grow the fuck up!" I didn't yell, but I raised my voice some. Before I knew it the petite blonde was coming at me, fists flying. She got me in the mouth, busting my lip. I didn't even know she did until I tasted something salty and coppery in my mouth. I wiped the blood on the back of my hand and pushed her away, getting up off the couch. My shove stunned her for a minute, which gave me the perfect opportunity to strike. I grabbed a hold of her blonde tresses and pulled down as hard as I could, sending her to the floor. I looked at my hand and saw a clump of blonde hair, red at the tips from where it had been ripped out of a scalp. I felt arms around me and then I felt myself being dragged away from the scene.

The person pulled me up the stairs and into a room, which I quickly recognized as Jack's. The person let go of me and I turned to see that Jack had pulled me up to his room. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his bathroom, before searching through the cabinets. Finally he found what he was looking for and came back over to me with a cotton ball in one hand and peroxide in the other.

"I don't know if you're allowed to put this in your mouth...but I guess we'll find out..." He trailed off, screwing the top off. I quickly grabbed his hand and made him let go of the bottle, causing him to drop it. We both reached for it as it fell in the sink, but neither of us caught it quick enough because his hand had bumped into mine and startled us both. We started at each other for a few minutes before I grabbed the now half-empty bottle and set it on the counter.

"I'm fine, I'll just get some ice." I blinked, looking into Jack's big brown eyes. He stared at me, before opening his mouth to speak. I turned away before he could say anything and started to walk to the door so I could go down to the kitchen for some ice.

"Hold on," Jack said, rushing out of the bathroom and over to his door. "Let me go down and make sure she's gone first." He smiled, leaving the room and disappearing down the steps. I looked around his room, a bed, a dresser, a TV, a desk, and a guitar in the far corner. Posters covered his wall, mostly of Blink, but I recognized some New Found Glory and Set Your Goals mixed in. I went to his desk, noticing a punch of pictures scattered on the tabletop. I picked a pile up, and felt a smile spread across my face as I looked through them. They were pictures from high school, back when the five of us were inseparable. I noticed one though, one that I was in. I hadn't even remembered taking the picture, and usually I remembered that kind of stuff.

I heard Jack coming back up the stairs so I put the pictures back down and walked out of his room to meet him. "Can I go down there?" I asked, curiosity plain on my face.

"Yeah, she's gone." He nodded, sighing. He went into his room and shut the door. I heard him kick the wall, and let out a long line of curses. _What's up with him? _I wondered to myself. I shrugged it off and walked down the stairs, silently walking into the kitchen. I heard voices and saw Zack, Rian, and Alex as I turned the corner.

Zack was leaning against the counter, holding a glass of alcohol. Rian was sitting at the bar, with a beer can in front of him and his phone in his hands. Alex was mimicking Zack, only he was across from him, by the fridge. He was holding a beer can, but set it down.

I opened a cabinet near Zack and pulled out a Ziploc bag, before getting a rag out of the drawer and then making my way to the fridge. The whole time all three of them were utterly quiet, which was weird, even for them, they were the kings of weird. I opened the freezer and bent down, grabbing some ice and stuffing it inside of my baggie. When I was done I tucked my bag neatly inside my rag, and shut the freezer.

"Do you care to explain what happened today, Liberty?" Alex asked, breaking the silence.

"You saw what happened." I answered, avoiding eye contact with him.

"What happened before that?" Alex asked, using a tone that made me face him.

"I told her she was annoying." I shrugged, "The usual."

"Why do you constantly have to start fights with her?" He asked, his eyes were concerned.

"Can we speak, alone?" I asked, motioning to the back door. He nodded and grabbed his beer, walking with me to the back door. Rian and Zack watched us as we made our way into the darkness of Jack's back yard.

"Care to explain?" Alex asked, looking at me. I looked up at the stars, thinking of what to say.

I could tell him straight-up that I'm jealous of Lisa, but that would be dumb. He didn't like me anymore, and I knew it. Plus I had Trav, I didn't need or want Alex. I knew that was a lie though. I both needed and wanted Alex. What would he say if I did tell him? Would he laugh in my face, or give me a sad look. I was prepared for the worst.

"They're beautiful aren't they, the stars?" I asked out of nowhere.

"I guess so," Alex said, not really caring.

"No, I mean...they're tiny balls of fire. They brighten up the night sky. They're so simple, yet so complex. They're nothing fancy, they've been around forever, literally." I said, still looking up at the stars. I turned to look at Alex. "They're beautiful."

"Is this your way of telling me that I'm _beautiful_, Lib?" Alex laughed, "Because I prefer the term handsome, if you don't mind."

"Oh but Alex, you're pretty, like a girl." I joked, giggling.

"Oh, am I?" He laughed, shaking his head. "Tell me why you hate her."

"Hate who?" I asked. I had quit laughing, the conversation was serious now.

"Cut the shit, why do you hate Lisa?" Alex asked, putting his empty beer can on the table.

"I...I'm jealous of her." I admitted, looking into his eyes.

"What could possibly make _you _jealous of _her_? You're so perfect, and beautiful, and honestly a lot more fun to be around." Alex looked shocked.

"She has you." I whispered, I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't heard me.

"She what?" Alex asked, moving closer to me. I swallowed but my throat was dry, my palms were sweaty, and my heart was pounding in my chest.

"She has you." I said, looking into his eyes. He was a lot closer than I had expected him to be, and he caught me by surprise.

"Not anymore," He shook his head, still moving closer. "I broke up with her."

"Oh, you did?" I asked, breathless. He was so close. I could feel how warm he was through his shirt. He nodded and leaned his head down, as I leaned mine up. One hand cupped my face, while the other lifted my chin up, making it easier for him to kiss me. His warm, soft lips pressed against mine, moving against them. His lips forced mine apart, and he put his tongue down my throat. I wrapped my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer and closer, as if that was possible. Our kiss had gone from slow and romantic to craving and passionate in a matter of seconds. His hands had moved from my face, and he had picked me up. My legs were wrapped around his torso, and my arms were wrapped around his neck, someone he got me pressed up against something flat and solid. I felt something shift behind me, and then Alex and I were tumbling backwards, crashing into the floor, our lips disconnecting as I screamed in pain. Something metal had struck me in my lower back, and as I opened my eyes I saw we were laying in the doorway, and the thing I had been pressed against was the back door.

I pushed Alex off, and then slowly, propping myself on a nearby object, I raised myself off of the floor and into a sitting position. Alex, being the gentleman he thought he was, offered me his hand. And who am I to deny his help? So I graciously took it, letting Alex pull me to my feet. I could see the muscles in his arms flex as he did so, and never had I wanted anyone more than I did at that moment. I licked my lips and looked at Alex's face. But he was looking past me, at something else, but guilt was written plain and clear across his features. I turned on my feet to see that it was in fact Jack that Alex had been staring at.

I had never seen the dark haired boy so angry in my life, because he usually never _got_ angry. He was too happy-go-lucky to be angry, to high on life to even pay attention to anything that might have caused his temper to flare. But now was different, his nostrils were flaring, and he was breathing quick and heavy. His hands were balled into fists by his sides, and I could see the veins in his neck from where he was most likely gritting his teeth in rage.

"You little shit," He cursed, glaring at Alex behind me.

"Jack, what the hell is wrong with you?" Alex asked, gently moving me out of the way so he and Jack could settle this face-to-face. But I wondered what it was they had to settle in the first place.

Zack and Rian had moved from their places at the kitchen counters, and were now on either side of me.

"Me? What the hell is wrong with you? You're supposed to be my friend, Alex. What gives?" Jack asked. I had a gut feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

"I am your friend, Jack. I don't know why you're angry with me. I didn't do anything." Alex admitted with a confused look.

"Cut the shit, you know damn well why I'm angry, no I'm not even angry, I'm _furious_!" Jack spat, moving a step closer to Alex.

"No, I don't. Would you care to enlighten me?" Alex asked, being a smartass. I knew what was going to happen next before it did.

Jack threw the first punch, which Alex dodged. Alex grabbed Jack's arm and twisted it around, making Jack twist and fall to the ground with a satisfying thud. But Jack grabbed Alex's legs, pulling hard, making Alex fall to the ground beside him. Alex was too stunned from the fall to do anything, which gave Jack the upper hand. He raised his fist and brought it down on Alex's face. Alex reached his hands up and started to choke Jack, making him fall over to the side. Jack pried Alex's hands off of him, and pushed him towards the door, trying to get his breathing back to normal. They both scrambled off the floor, and started going at it again. Throwing punches left and right, before finally Rian and Zack broke the fight up.

They both looked dreadful. Alex's eye was starting to black, and he had a gashes on his cheek and lip, but other than that he seemed okay. Jack, on the other hand, had a broken nose, and a gash running from his temple to his cheek. Both of them were bloody, and I had to leave the room before I puked.

A few minutes later Jack came limping out of the kitchen and onto the front porch where I had gone to escape the blood. He had a rag against the side of his face, and a bag of ice against his nose. I moved over on the front step and let him sit down next to me.

"Hey," He said, his voice was kind of hoarse. It was probably from when Alex had tried to choke him. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Don't worry about it, I've seen much worse." I shook my head. "But why?"

Jack sighed beside me, and looked out at the road. "You know, you and Alex both mean a lot to me, despite what just happened. I know you both pretty well, and I know how you both feel about each other. I can see it in the way you look at each other." He shrugged, "But I also know how Alex treats girls, and I know how you treat guys. I don't want either of you to get hurt, and I told Alex to stay away from you, that his feelings would die down eventually. He's got a thick skull." He shook his head, laughing. "I'm just trying to protect you both."

"Jack," I started to say. "Please, stop." I shook my head.

"Stop what?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"Stop trying to protect us, from each other. We're grown-ups, we can handle ourselves. I really appreciate how much you care about us, but you need to stop. You can't force us to stay away from each other, you know." I stood up, walking down the remaining steps. "I'm not mad at you, but please, mind your own business."

I walked to my car, and unlocked the door. I turned to look at Jack. "Besides, I have Travis. What would I want with Gaskank?" I laughed, causing Jack to smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Jack asked, standing up.

"For sure, Kitty." I winked, getting in my car. I started the engine and backed out of the driveway, turning onto the neighborhood road. I drove back to Travis's place, and got out of the car, walking up the stairs to the apartment building. When I opened the door I saw Trav passed out on his couch, the TV still on, and a cluster of beer bottles on the floor and table. I sighed and went back into the bedroom, taking off my bra, and changing into a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt. I crawled into bed, hugging a pillow close, thinking about how amazing Alex tasted.

**I'm going to be off topic for a moment. I've been watching A Very Potter Musical for the past week, and I think I'm in love. The characters in it are better than the real characters, or at least I think so. I quite enjoy their Zefron obsessions. Anyways, back on topic.**** I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope it didn't confuse you too much. Please review my little potatoes. I love you all.**

**-EXTRA NOTE- **

**I would really really super appreciate if you guys would let me know if there are any of my other stories that you would like me to update, like ones that I haven't updated in a while. Like, I'd really really really REALLY appreciate it. I am aware that I haven't updated some stories in like, months. There are reasons why I haven't. But if you want me to update one of them you have to let me know so I can, okay? **

**Oh, and, y'all should really follow me on tumblr ;D imnocaptainyet (dot) tumblr (dot) com.**


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